On Saturday, the Macomb High School Commons was packed with people to celebrate the career of retiring band director David Wetmore.

Part of the Wetmore Project, an organization founded to promote events recognizing Wetmore’s career as well as boosting support for the high school band, the celebration drew a crowd of former students and fellow staff that had nothing but good things to say about the director.

“He kept me out of trouble a lot, kept me motivated,” said Matthew Cousins, a class of ‘09 clarinet player. “I had ADD really bad. If it wasn’t for music and Mr. Wetmore I probably, honestly wouldn’t have been able to finish high school.”

The space was full of ways to recall old band memories, with group pictures from a variety of different classes adorned all over the walls.

A corner of the room was dedicated to making a collection of memories of Wetmore. Another had a full cardboard cutout of the director that students could take a “selfie” with.

“The biggest thing was for a lot of people, he was like a second dad,” said Scott Lawson from the class of ‘96. “There were teachers that would teach you the material and that was pretty much it. Mr. Wetmore really cared about students learning, students growing and students becoming better people.”

As Wetmore entered the room, the crowd began applauding the director who had taught at the high school for the last 29 years. Wetmore was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu Bandmasters Hall of Fame earlier this year, and the band has won multiple awards under his direction.

After retiring this spring, Wetmore said he wants to play trumpet — he is a principal trumpet in the Knox-Galesburg Symphony. He said he was “blown away” by the celebration and commented on how great it was to see everybody.

“He made the student’s job clearer and the parent’s job easier,” said Mary Kay Benda.

“Mr. Wetmore always taught us more than just music,” said former student of Wetmore’s Andrea Beaty-Miller. “He made us have a good work ethic. He expected us to work hard, and we did, and we saw the rewards from doing that.”

Carol Clemons, chair of the Wetmore Project, said that she was happy to see the large group come out not just in celebration for Wetmore’s retirement, but also in support of the band program.

“Just because he is retiring doesn’t mean the amazing program that he’s built is going to fade away,” Clemons said. “Doug Mattsey is a wonderful conductor and we’re happy to see so much support for the school system.”